Page 11 of Only Ever You
I hope I never lose my appreciation of the small things. I didn’t realize how much I didn’t appreciate them until I had to spend time in detention all because I was a dumbass. Fortunately, Jane knows nothing about me. Otherwise, she might not want to walk with me.
We fall into step beside each other. It’s quiet at first. After a while, Jane nudges me with her elbow. “Tell me something about yourself.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, are you from here?” she presses.
I smile down at her. “Mostly. I grew up in Alaska. I’ve lived with my dad here, in Skagway, Juneau, and even up in Fairbanks.”
“Just you and your dad?”
Pain strums an old chord in my heart. “Yup. My mom is long gone,” I say. “It’s just me and my dad.” I clear my throat. “Where are you from?”
“Alaska,” she says simply.
A chuckle rustles in my throat. To some, that answer might not make sense, but if you’re from Alaska, it does. Alaska’s freaking huge, geographically speaking, but it’s small as far as the feeling of being from here. It’s wildness bonds you to each other.
“Anywhere specific in Alaska, or just the whole state?” I tease lightly.
She grins up at me. “I was born in Willow Brook, but I’ve lived all over. My parents have an RV, so we’re driving around Alaska this summer.”
Yet again, I have a feeling there are some big gaps in that description. There’s a powerful sense of loneliness emanatingfrom her, and I don’t like it. She shouldn’t feel lonely, but then I know the feeling well.
“Well, that’s cool,” I say, keeping my tone casual. I can’t even wrap my brain around how I feel with her. There’s a sense of comfort I’ve never experienced this quickly. With anyone.
We walk for close to three hours. I take her along a trail nearby that leads to a waterfall that I used to go to when I was a little kid.
Just when I’ve lost track of time, she announces, “I have to go back.”
I don’t want her to go back, yet I know that’s not rational. I look down at her, lost in the moment that stretches between us, shimmering and alive. Her blue eyes are layered in color. Looking into them is like staring into the ocean when the sun filters through it. I don’t realize I’ve taken a step closer and reached for her hand until I feel her fingers lace with mine. A pink flush rises on her cheeks, and I notice the spray of freckles across her nose.
“I like you, Parker,” Jane says, her words coming out in a rush.
I take an unsteady breath. “I like you.” My voice almost sounds a little rusty, and I have to clear my throat.
She blinks up at me and takes another step, placing her palm on my chest. My heart kicks toward her touch.
“What if I want to see you again?” I hear myself asking.
I could swear there’s a sheen of tears in Jane’s eyes. “I wish,” she whispers. “But I don’t live here.”
I want to ask her for her phone number, but I don’t even have my own phone. As if she’s reading my mind, she says, “And I don’t have a phone. If I did, I’d give you my number.”
“It’s okay. I don’t have a phone either.”
I’m trying to tell myself I shouldn’t kiss her, but she startles me by leaning up and pressing her lips to mine. She jumps back quickly. “I probably shouldn’t have done that!”
“Don’t say that,” I tell her.
“If I’m never going to see you again, a kiss is a good memory,” she says softly.
“We could try again,” I say, my heart pounding so hard it hurts.
Jane blinks up at me before nodding. Time feels as if it’s moving in slow motion as I take a tiny step closer to her. Her palm is still resting over my heart, and she slides an arm around my waist as I do the same. I hold her gaze as I lower my head. I hear the echoing drumroll of my heartbeat, the rush of blood in my ears, and the distant screech of an eagle, followed by the chatter of a magpie.
There’s a splash in the water just as I bring my lips to Jane’s. She holds completely still for a moment before she lets out a soft sigh into our kiss. I can’t help myself and take the kiss deeper. I slide my tongue across the seam of her lips. She opens easily, her tongue gliding against mine.
I’m tumbling into this moment with her. My knees are almost wobbly by the time we break apart, both of us nearly desperate for air. Jane takes a shaky breath as my heart pounds against her palm.
